1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of tools for inserting wires in non-deforming insulation piercing terminals, and more particularly to the field of tools for simultaneously installing a plurality of wires in a corresponding plurality of terminals disposed in a terminal retaining body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Non-deforming insulation piercing terminals allow for a much more rapid assembly of multiconductor connectors and terminal blocks than was allowed by conventional terminals which required the wires to be stripped of their insulation before insertion or required individual crimping of each terminal to secure it to a wire. In order to take full advantage of this, it is desirable to insert all of the wires to be connected to a terminal retaining body simultaneously.
Devices of the prior art for simultaneously inserting a plurality of wires in this type of terminal block have been prone to faulty wiring due to incomplete insertion of the wires into the terminals and have required so much labor for the insertion and removal of the wires from the tool that little time was saved over individual insertion of the wires in one terminal at a time. U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,745, issued Aug. 2, 1977 to John P. Nijman, and its pending divisional patent application Ser. No. 768,578, filed Feb. 14, 1977, both of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a ratchet and pawl insertion control mechanism for alleviating the aforementioned problem. However, this device, like other prior devices, does not include a mechanism in cooperative association with such insertion control means to readily hold the wires in position for insertion as well as to permit easy and simultaneous removal of the wired terminal retaining body and the severed wires from the termination tool after complete insertion of the wires.